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Springtime brings book events around Denver metro area

Talks, readings, awards celebrate authors and their works

Might we say the smell of printers’ ink is in the air? Or, maybe with books online, that’s no longer viable. In any case, April is Poetry Month nationally, Arapahoe Community College holds its Writers Conference this weekend and issues the most recent “Progenitor” literary magazine soon, two state organizations will soon be announcing winning authors in annual contests, and Arvada Center will hold its first one-day Book Fest on May 19.

Also, the Colorado Authors’ League will hold a dinner May 4 at the Arvada Center to announce the 76th CAL Writing Awards. Colorado Humanities/Colorado Center for the Book announced finalists in its annual Book Awards, with readings through the month at the Book Bar, 4280 Tennyson St., Denver, with finalists announced at 4:30 p.m. June 2, at Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver.

We know we can’t offer complete listings, but hope to say congratulations to each Colorado writer who has had the courage and persistence to publish a new book and guide it along a path to recognition — it’s a long, challenging process!

To sample some finalists’ work, The Book Bar will host readings for finalists chosen for awards in various categories — accompanied by a sip of wine if one wishes — in the Colorado Book Award Finalist Readings (we have missed the mystery/fantasy series, alas). The store says it will hold popular votes among those who attend. Street parking. (Judges are Colorado writers, teachers and others.)

• April 20, 7 p.m. Anthology, Creative Non-Fiction, History

• April 22, 7:30 p.m. Juvenile and Young Adult Literature (YA)

• April 27, 7 p.m. Fiction and Poetry

• May 3, 4:30 p.m. Children’s Literature

• May 4, 7 p.m. General Nonfiction, History, Pictorial

Finalists in our south area zip codes include the late Caroline Stutson of Littleton, for her charming children’s storybook, “Blue Corn Soup,” entered by her husband, Al, an active Friends of the Library board member; and Len Vlahos, author of the YA title, “Life in a Fishbowl,” also lives in Littleton. He and his wife are new owners of the Tattered Cover stores. Sara Jade Alan, another YA finalist for “A Messy Beautiful Life,” lives in Englewood.

The final award ceremony will include brief readings by the winners and a reception. See coloradohumanities.org.

Colorado Authors’ League, founded in 1931, has a membership of more than 300. It has nominees from 12 categories who published books in 2017, and they were judged by Southwest Writers of New Mexico. Winners will be announced on May 4 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. The CAL is open to those who have published a book in the past three years or have a lifetime body of work. The winner is each of 12 categories will win $100 and a glass likeness of a book, etched with their name, category and year. The keynote speaker will be Maura Weiler, author and screenwriter

The Cal will also award the 2018 Colorado Authors’ League Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Tom Noel, “Dr. Colorado,” who has authored more than 40 volumes and many articles for periodicals and is professor of history and director of public history, preservation and colorado studies at CU-Denver and more … Jeff Lee and Ann Marie Martin will receive the 2018 CAL Author Advocate Award. The couple has co-founded the 35,000-volume Rocky Mountain Land Library in 1986 and are developing the Buffalo Peaks Ranch near Fairplay as a physical home for the collection and a year-round residential retreat center. The award supports people who encourage reading and authorship, but are not authors themselves.

● Finalists in featured articles and essays will read at 6 p.m. April 25 at the BookBar (see location above).

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